Patricio Melero

Patricio Melero Abaroa (born 19 June 1956) is a Chilean politician and agricultural engineer, militant from Unión Demócrata Independiente (UDI), party which he was president.

He was a collaborator of Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship (1973–1990).

On 7 April 2021, he assumed the post of Minister of Labor and Social Provision after being appointed by Sebastián Piñera during his second government (2018–2022), administration where he official and initially he supported as deputy. Thus, Cristián Labbé Martínez replaced him.

Early life and education Melero was born in Santiago, Chile, on June 19, 1956. He is the son of Manuel Melero Rodríguez and Beatriz Abaroa Layda.

He is married to María Alejandrina Donoso Noguera and has two sons, Sebastián and Patricio.

He completed his primary and secondary education at Saint George's College, graduating in 1973. He later entered the University of Chile, where he earned a degree in Agricultural Engineering in 1985.

During his studies, he also served as a teaching assistant in the Department of Rural Development at the Faculty of Agronomy of the same university.

Political career In 1978, Melero served as vice president of the Federation of Student Centers of the University of Chile (FECECH). Between 1983 and 1985, he was National Secretary of the National Youth Secretariat.

On September 12, 1985, he was appointed mayor of the Municipality of Pudahuel by General Augusto Pinochet, a position he held until July 17, 1989.

In 1989, he joined the Independent Democratic Union (UDI). In April 2003, he was elected Secretary General of the party. He later served as president of the UDI between 2012 and May 2014.

After serving seven consecutive terms as deputy since 1990, he was elected in the parliamentary elections of November 2017 as deputy for the 8th electoral district of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, representing the Independent Democratic Union within the Chile Vamos coalition. He obtained 23,042 votes, equivalent to 5.43% of the total valid votes.